Denver Catholic

hat our r. CATHOLIC LIFE I 3 DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER I SEPTEMBER 25, 2013 27 Catholic churches, schools damaged by flood BY JULIE FILBY As parishes throughout the Denver Archdiocese reach out to help neighbors devastated by the Front Range flooding, several are dealing with their own clean-up and repairs. As of press time Sept. 23, 27 properties—including churches, rectories, schools and a senior housing complex—had filed insurance claims through the archdiocese, according to Peter Cronan, director of Risk Management. This included structures in Aurora, Denver, Fort Collins, Lakewood, Littleton, Louisville, Longmont, Loveland, Weldona, Thornton, Broomfield and Boulder. On Sept. 16, Archbishop Samuel Aquila visited Boulder County, the worst of the 17 counties hit. More than 16 inches of rain fell in the Boulder area Sept. 10 through Sept. 15, a record-breaking 9 inches on Sept. 12. Archbishop Aquila checked on the four Catholic parishes in Boulder: Sacred Heart of Mary, Sacred Heart of Jesus, St. Martin de Porres and the St. Thomas Aquinas Center serving the University of Colorado. "All four of them had damage," Archbishop Aquila told the Denver Catholic Register PHOTO PROVIDED FLOOD waters surround Sacred Heart of Mary Church at 6739 S. Boulder Road in Boulder in this photo taken Sept. 12 looking toward South Boulder Road from the rectory. Sept. 17. "The worst was at St. Thomas Aquinas. The student center had more than 200,000 gallons of water in it; it was being pumped out and had been continuously for the last two or three days." Three separate properties— the church, pastoral center and student center—were damaged, according to Phil Perez, parish business and facilities manager. Contaminated water stood 4 feet in the boiler room. While they continue to assess damage, Perez is grateful clean-up has begun. It is expected to last eight to 10 weeks. "We're looking on the bright side and building anticipation for our new student center," he said. "We're trying to keep it positive; Father Peter (Mussett, pastor) and all of us believe in our sufferings there are opportunities for holiness." Archbishop Aquila agreed Boulderites were in good spirits. "Certainly there's sadness, especially with people who had lost their homes," he said. includes 14 one-bedroom units. "Most are staying with family or friends. I believe only one resident was given hotel vouchers and she is getting assistance to find other housing." She anticipated it will take a few months to replace flooring, doors, woodwork and essentially "anything" touched by the contaminated water. In the Denver metro area, Queen of Peace Parish at 13120 E. Kentucky Ave. in Aurora received damage during the Sept. 12 rains, as well as heavier rain and hail that fell Sept. 14.The rectory, parish offices and an adjacent building they share with another church were flooded. "The damage displaced us from our offices and bedrooms," explained Father Felix Medina-Algaba, who was installed as pastor Sept. 15. Employees were out of the office a few days due to the leaks and stench, according to Steve Loftis, business manager. He hopes repairs will be completed by the end of the week. "We keep praying due to many of our parishioners and neighbors who were just as affected as we were," Father Medina-Algaba said, "or even worse." "(Though) it was good to see the strength of the people, their resilience; to listen to their stories and see the depth of their faith and their willingness to exercise the virtue of charity." Archbishop Aquila, a graduate of the University of Colorado in Boulder in 1972, was most surprised by Bear Creek. "It's usually a very small flow of water," he said. "It's literally a river and still flowing fairly hard," causing damage to streets near St. Martin de Porres. St. Martin de Porres at 3300 Table Mesa Drive suffered water damage to the church and rectory. Sacred Heart of Mary at 6739 S. Boulder Road had damage to multiple buildings. At Sacred Heart of Jesus, 1318 Mapleton Ave., multiple buildings were damaged including the school. Dunn Memorial Senior Housing at 4805 Baseline Road, owned by the Sacred Heart of Jesus Foundation, sustained major damage, according to Nancy Cuprisin, director of housing and management services for Archdiocesan Housing. "All residents were evacuJulie Filby: 303-715-3123; julie. ated as well as the manager," filby@archden.org; www.twitter. she said of the complex that com/DCRegisterJulie On this rock, one strong church was built The enduring Chapel on the Rock at the former St. Malo Retreat Center in Allenspark has been spared from catastrophe twice: first in November 2011 from a fire that destroyed the retreat center; and most recently from a massive mudslide triggered by torrential rain during the Front Range flood. A 7-mile-long mudslide, that originated half-way up neighboring Mount Meeker, plowed down the peak and completely rearranged the landscape before emptying into a pond in front of the chapel. Water, mud and debris surrounded the rock; but stopped short at the second step of the historic stone church. "The church is in great condition," according to caretaker Johnnie Davis, who said 300 to 400 people visited the chapel every day this summer. "It withstood the fire, and here we are two years later." However, the nearby trail hiked by Blessed John Paul II when he visited St. Malo during Denver's World Youth Day 1993, was destroyed. "I'm calling the John Paul II Trail, the John Paul II River," Special ops for men While visiting a child care center for low-income and homeless families in Denver, I saw a boy about 5 years old shy away from my approach and hide under a table. It took quite a while to coax him out. My question was to the head of the center: Why? It turns out that such children, often being raised by single moms struggling to get by, may not have an attentive, positive male influence in their lives. What they've experienced with men may be the opposite: absent, threatening or even violent. We hear a lot about "fatherless families," but when you see a child flinch at even the approach of a man, the numbing statistics take on a sad reality that demands a response. Here's the plan. We need men in our community to step up and read with these kids, to play with them and just be with them in an environment Davis said Sept. 18, "and it's still flowing very well." A two-foot wide stream, Cavern Creek, that ran through the middle of the property grew to a 100-yard raging river loaded with trees, rocks and sand. "It's now 100 to 200 yards south of where is used to be," he said. "It's a complete change of landscape; it's incredible. You have to see it to believe it." A wedding planned for the weekend of Sept. 14 had to be cancelled and it's not clear yet PHOTO PROVIDED if the chapel will be able to host THIS SEPT. 18 photo shows damage surrounding St. Catherine weddings scheduled for October. of Siena Chapel, the "Chapel on the Rock." CALL TO CHARITY LARRY SMITH that's safe. Then those children can experience something they don't see enough from men in their day-to-day lives: attention and security. We'd like a dozen male volunteers to start this program at Catholic Charities' facilities in the Denver metro area. The time commitment would be one hour a week and we will work with your schedule. Show your interest by sending an email to certl@ccdenver.org or call 720-377-1327 and we will connect you with the right people at Catholic Charities to continue the conversation. Our mission is to serve those with a need to receive and those with a need to give. Spending time with children in need is a great witness to that. For men TO HELP Email: certl@ccdenver.org Call: 720-377-1327 Visit: www.ccdenver.org called to this service, it will fill your hearts. Larry Smith is the president and CEO of Catholic Charities of the Denver Archdiocese. Visit online at www.ccdenver.org or call 303-742-0825. There are many opportunities to serve others with your time, talent and treasure.

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